Worst Rival, Best Valentine?
by Pete the Rock
Summary: Repost without lemon. ConfidenceShipper. Georgia requests having Ash spend Valentine's Day with her.


Disclaimer: No ownership of Pokémon. It is a one-shot.  
Summary: Another Valentine's Special. Georgia requests a day with Ash. ConfidenceShipper.

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_**Worst Rival, Best Valentine?**_

The morning rose over the Pokémon Center. Cilan was borrowing the kitchen and cooking breakfast not only for Ash and Iris. Pikachu, Axew, Pansage, Emolga, Snivy, Oshawott, Tepig, Dwebble, Excadrill, Stunfisk, Palpitoad and Scraggy were feasting on the food prepared by the Pokémon Connoisseur. "Eat up, everyone," the joyous Connoisseur praised. "Can't really train on empty stomachs." In a bedroom, there was Iris sleeping while in another...no Ash? There he was, setting the table for the three. Spoons, forks, glasses, plates... It's only breakfast, not a banquet. Cilan checked Ash's table work. "Ash?" Ash glanced back at Cilan, wondering what he was doing wrong.

"What?" he shrieked. "I'm doing the table like you showed me!" Cilan wasn't arguing about utensil placement.

"No, you did an esquisite job. We probably don't need spoons this morning." Guess Ash wasn't really told what was on the menu at dawn.

"Oh. I...wasn't really aware." Cilan wanted to share the mishap.

"Yeah, I forgot to mention there's no cereal in this Pokémon Center. Sorry." It wasn't a problem as Emolga swooped in and snagged a couple of spoons before tossing them to Oshawott and Pansage. Pansage used the miniature tree on it's head as a baseball glove and caught it. Oshawott was a different tale. BONK~! Off the soft head it ricochet to the floor and knocking out the Sea Otter Pokémon. The dizzy spell had Tepig coming to Oshawott's aid while Dwebble used String Shot to reel in the fallen scooper. Ash turned to Emolga, thankful to have help even from another Pokémon.

"Thanks for your help, Emolga." Emolga cheered, hoping Iris would wake up to it. Not quite.

"I can't help but notice that even though Emolga's not your Pokémon, she still thinks rather highly of you." Ash itched his head, somewhat embarrassed.

"I would expect it from my Pokémon, not anyone else." After a little chuckle, his nose sniffed something good. "Smells like breakfast is almost ready." Cilan smelled the scent, but didn't really agree with Ash.

"That's not my food. Something or someone is giving off a rather potent fragrance. Not to mention it's coming from somewhere but the kitchen." That got Ash suspicious and called to his best bloodhound for the job. Unfortunately, he didn't have a dog but the next best thing to him.

"Hey, Pikachu!" Pikachu hurried over to Ash's side, wondering what he had planned. "See if you can pick up the scent." Pikachu used his nose which Scraggy and Axew were curious about. Pikachu got a lock on the scent and headed toward an adjacent hallway and away from the room Iris was snoozing...only to be awaken by that stench.

"Oh man," she winced. "What's that smell? Perfume? It's morning!" Yeah, a little early for someone to squirt perfume on yourself. She got up and staggered out of the room, pretty overwhelmed by the scent. She saw her male companions and a few Pokémon trailing the same whiff. Finally, they reached the door emitting that awkward aroma. Why here?

"Must be a new line of sweetening perfume someone's trying out," The Pokémon Connoisseur guessed. That had whoever on the other side wondering who it was.

"Is that you, Cilan?" a familiar voice rang out. That voice surprised the boys...and irritated Iris.

"The Dragon Buster needs a different fragrance," Iris mulled. Dragon Buster Georgia? Opening the door revealed Georgia. She acted insulted by Iris' indifference of her makeup.

"Maybe the Dragon Girl needs a different style. Perhaps a haircut and new clothes to make yourself look more childish since that's how you're acting." Oh, boy. The boys sighed with the horrid concoction blending between the two. That's when Georgia decided to change the topic. "But I'm not in the mood to squabble with you. It's Valentine's Day today." Okay, but that didn't really help anyone on why you're not willing to try and belittle Iris.

"I know about Valentine's Day. It's such a kids' holiday!" She's not destined to have a boyfriend in the near future.

"As expected from the outgoing weakest Dragon Pokémon trainer... but I'm offering a deal. I won't be bugging you about how pathetic your training and Axew are and in exchange, I'll take Ash off your hands for the day." Iris' irises nearly exited from her face. This was news she didn't expect...and respect.

"No way, Buster!" Georgia rose a finger and a smirk.

"That's _Dragon_ Buster, Dragon Girl."

"Whatever! What kind of silly proposition are you presenting?" Georgia leered into Iris' face.

"Lemme ask you this: Why are you traveling with him in the first place?" If there was a question not to be asked about from rival to rival about another's company expectantly, this would be it. Iris stuttered horribly at the weight of this question but managed to straighten out.

"Easy! I'm helping him around the Unova Region! He can't go anywhere without a helping hand!" That got Ash offended.

"Timeout!" he voiced. "I never even asked for help to begin with!" Iris wasn't concerned with that.

"Think about it, Ash. You wouldn't be halfway through the Unova League without us." Ash realized how true it was.

"I guess you got a point, though I got more help from Cilan than you," he pointed out. That got under Iris' eyebrows. With all these eye jokes, and considering her name is based on a part of an eye, there's no real need to go under the chin.

"Hey!" Georgia chuckled with Pallet Town's very own All-Star dissing a citizen from the Village of Dragons.

"Boy, the way you guys behave among each other is like a dangerous concoction of spices," Cilan summarized. Stink-eying Cilan, Georgia wasn't too happy with that response.

"You're not helping the matter, Connoisseur," she mulled. "But I should ask you about it. Would you give me Ash for a day?" Cilan didn't want to be involved despite the fact that he was tuned into the verbal squabble.

"That's not a mysterious recipe for me to unravel." Georgia had a disgusted facial expression. Was it Cilan's way of his Connoisseur tongue?

"In English!" Ash figured out what Cilan meant.

"I believe he's saying that it wasn't his decision to make," he clarified. "It's about me." Iris got fearful about what Ash was going to say.

"No, Ash!" she freaked. "Say no! Say no to Georgia!" Knowing the rivalry betwixt Iris and Georgia, Ash decided to listen.

"Alright," he acknowledged before facing the redhead Dragon Buster. "No problem!" Iris gawked, surprised with Ash's answer. He just twisted her words around. He did say no but not the way she liked.

"Don't use my words like that!" Georgia stepped in front of both her rival and her request.

"Hey, this isn't your choice to make," she sneered. "If Ash wants to go with me, you're in no position to argue his option. Besides, it's only for today." Meaning that Iris can mess with him starting tomorrow. "Let's go, Ash!" Ash followed Georgia with his Pokémon who were curious to that exchange. The two after Ash recalled his Pokémon arrived at an odd place for Valentine's Day: the Battle Club.

"Why are we here?" he wondered. Wasn't Valentine's Day suppose to be about love, not war?

"I wanna see if you really deserve to be on your own or with that Dragon girl. The only way to determine that is through a battery of tests...and it'll be done without any Pokémon." There's a challenge for Ash. "And to make this more exciting, I'm gonna participate alongside you." What's Georgia trying to prove? Ash wanted to get an understanding.

"What are you trying to get at?" A snicker sounded a plot.

"Remember when your Snivy defeated my Pawniard at the Battle Club Tournament? To be honest, you beat me fair and square, not the ground causing me to lose. Besides, when you easily beat that Connoisseuse wannabe, Burgundy, I knew that you were a conservatively tough trainer. That's why I wanna see how you work when your Pokémon aren't by your side to help you." Interesting challenge. When Ash heard about Georgia running alongside, he glanced at Georgia's outfit, mainly her skirt. Who knew Ash was a pervert?

"You sure you wanna do it in that?" Either Georgia wasn't worried about what she wore or she wanted Ash to think about what awaited underneath that piece of clothing because she wasn't really disturbed.

"You should worry about yourself." Georgia, followed by Ash and Pikachu, entered the Battle Club where Don George greeted them.

"Ash, Georgia, welcome to the Pokémon Battle Club," he spoke.

"Is everything set, Don George?" Don flicked a thumb up.

"Set and ready for action!" As Don led Ash and Georgia to the workout zone, Iris and Cilan entered the club not far behind.

"Iris, I don't understand why you need to pursue Ash and Georgia," Cilan itched the issue.

"Of course you do," she countered. "It's Georgia and seeing what head games she's playing with Ash." Ash and Georgia stood in front of a treadmill. Why the treadmill?

"I heard from my older brother in Nacrene City that you ran on a treadmill with Tepig," Don recalled. "Well, the only difference with this treadmill from my brother's is that you won't be facing medicine balls." Ash sighed, not sure if it's relief or displeased. "The real surprise about this... Well, you'll have to ride it to see." Don and Pikachu stepped onto the controll panel while Ash and Georgia hopped onto the treadmill. "Here we go!" The treadmill's belt revved up and began rolling, making Ash and Georgia start walking. So far, it's pretty even.

"So," Georgia spoke, hoping to hinder his concentration. "Nerves starting to rattle about the surprise?" Ash just huffed a giggle, unamused. A minute passed with no break from the two.

"Okay, turning up the speed!" The treadmill's belt started moving faster and the two on it shuffled their feet to maintain balance. For someone wearing a skirt and boots, Georgia was doing remarkably well. "And now the surprise!" Don hit a button. That's when snow began to shower on Ash and Georgia. That's the surprise?

"Blizzard?" Ash wondered.

"Nope! Icy Wind!" A Pokémon attack. Suddenly, Ash began to slip on the belt. The mock Icy Wind made the treadmill slick and traction hard to grip. Georgia was ready to burst in laughter when Ash fell off. But he kept hanging on, even as the Icy Wind blew harder and the belt spun faster. Both ran on the frosty treadmill for an excruciating 15 minutes, maximum allocated time for Don. "Time's up!" Don stopped the treadmill and both hopped off in exhaustion. Georgia wasn't laughing but she wasn't upset. She was impressed.

"Wow!" she awed. "What in the world are you doing with Iris?" Gasping, Ash chuckled.

"Nothing like this!" he exhaled. Don cae over to pat both on the back.

"Give yourselves an hour before we go to the next challenge," he advised. Both nodded as they headed to the locker room. An hour later, Ash, Don and Pikachu were poolside and waiting for Georgia to emerge. Ash was now in only a pair of red swimming trunks with blue hems and stripes. Iris and Cilan watched from the glass partition above. As the boys waited, Ash stretched his legs and arms to make sure they were in shape. That's when Georgia came out...in a sky blue bikini. Yet she still kept her cap on.

"Sorry for the wait," she apologized. Don gawked at how Georgia looked and so did Cilan. Ash? Not even a flinch. Don and Cilan, straighten up. She removed her cap where something funny caught Iris'...you already know the joke, there's no real need to say it.

"Is that a...cowlick?" she shrieked laughing. Yes, hair was sticking straight up from the top of her head. Come to think of it, couldn't we call it a Miltank-lick? Was that the reason she wore that puffy hat?

"So, you ready?" Ash grinned. That face had Georgia thinking he was all talk. Did she forget that Ash had gone step for step on the treadmill?

"As Dragon Busters, we're already elite athletes that can take on any obstacle in the way," she confidently explained. "I may look young but where I'm from, no boy has ever bested me." She's a girl but she pretty cocky about her abilities. Cilan had a bad feeling that Georgia's attitude was all talk herself.

"I taste a burnt reflection from Georgia's tale," he studied. Perhaps... Both dip into the pool and set themselves at the man-made waterfall. Don and Pikachu found themselves at the control panel.

"Opening the floodgates!" he announced. That's when a stream of water emerged, crashing down into the pool to create a current for both to start swimming against. Both stroked their arms in and out of the water, kicking legs to power against the river-acting pool. Three minutes in, fatigue began to show on Ash's face. Was he pretty worn out from the treadmill? He was also falling behind Georgia's steady pace. That's when Ash changed his stroke from freestyle...to Butterfree! Okay, butterfly stroke. The digging with simulations arms and legs propelled Ash to catch back to Georgia. He then reverted back to freestyle. These were two tough swimmers. That's when Georgia's leg froze up and she couldn't move it.

'What the-' Georgia noticed. 'My leg! I can't move my leg!' She yelped before going under. Ash knew Georgia was in trouble.

"Georgia!" he screeched before diving under. He swam down and let the current take him to a paining and struggling Georgia, unable to breathe. Ash reached Georgia in record time to wrap his arms around her. He used his legs to swim up and reach the surface. Panicked Pikachu and Don reached Ash and a coughing Georgia. Don hoisted Georgia out to lay down, trying to help her breathe. She began to vomit water, a good sign.

"That a girl!" Don comforted. Ash huddled over the Dragon Buster, worried about her condition.

"You alright?" Georgia didn't look good.

"Gimme a little bit," she coughed. Iris and Cilan were wondering what just happened to the "elite" girl.

"Georgia was doing so well and then she submerged," she replayed. "What happened?" Cilan was doubting Georgia's claims of being a supreme athlete. What timing to have it come back and bite you.

"Look how stiff that leg is," the Pokémon Connoisseur pointed. "She cramped up. Her muscles weren't back to normal meaning she was doing something else to loosen up and not letting it simmer down to reset." What could she have been doing to her leg that put it in danger of seizing up? Back downstairs, Georgia was offered a slice of wheat bread.

"Here," Don said. "This should soak up the water still inside you." Georgia swiped the slice and ate it in a hurry. Ash came over to the redhead blowhard in a precaution.

"How's the leg doing?" he asked. Georgia lifted and bent the knee, a good sign that it's recovering.

"I know it was a health issue but I showered off my lucky charm, Cubchoo Honey No. 3," she regretted. The perfume? That was the scent at the beginning of the day? "Nevertheless, Ash...you're the first boy to best me. Far and square." Her relent of her charisma was a shock to Iris. Ash shook the win off. Why?

"I think making sure you were okay is victory enough." That got under Georgia's nerve.

"Always the sincere type. Lovely." She's sarcastic. Ash shrugged it off and changed the topic.

"How about we go out and eat somewhere? I'll buy." The sound of food stoked Georgia, a new challenge presenting itself. She shoved a finger to his nose.

"I'll eat you under the table." She's a real warrior. Ash wasn't willing to back off.

"We'll see about that." Iris sighed. It's either she wanted to turn Ash into a rival and forgo her or her interest in the foreign trainer had skyrocketed from those tests. After getting dressed, Ash and Georgia were walking to find a good restaurant when Georgia stopped. Ash turned around.

"Thanks." Thanks? For saving your life? "Without that reaction from you..." For saving your life.

"I saw you in trouble. You may be Iris' rival...but you are a great friend." There's a saying, "keep your friends close and your enemies closer." There's a safe bet that Ash may be taking this saying a bit literally. Georgia would disagree because Iris was a Dragon-Type trainer and Axew was a Dragon-Type Pokémon.

"There's no way I'll be friends with Dragon Girl! I eat Dragon-Type trainers for breakfast!" Ash sighed, expecting that from the Dragon Buster. "But...I didn't expect someone from overseas to be caring about other people and not just Pokémon." That's when Georgia's cheeks fired red...yet she wasn't mad. Heck, she was smiling.

"Are you okay, Georgia?" She's not sick from appearance.

"Y-Yeah! I think it's what today is: Valentine's Day. Is it all right if I ask...since you've been traveling for such a long time if there's a special someone at home? Someone you love besides Pokémon?" This question was a real stun to Ash. The only one who would love him back home would be his mother...but that wouldn't count to Georgia. It meant that...he's single. True that he's still pretty young to think about more grown-up perks but it's the basis of the issue.

"Other than my mom, no one I can think of." Georgia was a bit startled. Surely for someone who traveled over so many areas that someone would ask for his name and get his home number or something...but no! Georgia smiled...evilly.

"Not even that ditz, Bianca?" Ash shook no. A grinning Dragon Buster approached. "Man, I've got to be the luckiest girl!"

"How so?" SMOOCH~! Dragon Buster busted her lips onto his. Ash felt paralyzed. The warm lips of Georgia froze Ash's thoughts. Ash must have revealed the soft side of the bane of Dragon-Type Pokémon. Briefly, she broke away.

"That's so!" She returned and planted another one to Ash, even going as far as wrapping her hand to Ash's skull while holding to his cap. This, by the way...all in front of Iris and Cilan.

"HOW DARE YOU!" Iris screamed. Her yell was so loud, you could hear from the city limits...from the other side of the city itself. Her shout turned the lovebird and worm to the Dragon Girl herself, seething with steam exiting every orifice of her. Cilan removed corks from his ears. "You do not have permission to decide when to make love to Ash!" Boy, someone was overreacting to a kiss. At least it looked to be just a kiss.

"I had no idea that you chose who I should kiss or be kissed," Ash teased her. Iris gawked at how nonchalant he was while Pikachu sighed at Iris being irate.

"Besides, you had all this time to claim him as your own," Georgia mocked. Iris' anger grew from tea kettle steaming to DefCon 5 atomic.

"You two don't even deserve to be on the same region, let alone here in this city," she roared. "You two are such kids!" Ash and Georgia glanced at each other before turning to her.

"Really, Iris?" Ash questioned.

"You're the one who needs to grow up!" Georgia sneered. OUCH! The low blow to Iris. Her rival and her friend from Pallet dissed her for being a kid to this moment. Georgia was right, Ash didn't deserve her at all, even as a traveling companion. Both walked off with Pikachu joining them. If Valentine's Day was a day of love, Cupid really hit a bulls-eye. And Iris...well...

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HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!


End file.
